The plain-spoken comments that I made briefly at the inter-parliamentary meeting in Brussels on 8 May have stirred up reactions, particularly on the Internet, which have prompted me to add the following clarifications.
1 – Within the European Parliament, I am responsible for proposing a reform of the way in which the Community budget is financed. Since this matter falls within the competence of the Member States (the European Union does not have the power to levy taxes), I have proposed a new working method, which involves national parliaments in the discussions and debates conducted in the European Parliament. Two working meetings have taken place on the subject, including the one on 8 May. A third is scheduled for 21 June. In addition, I have travelled to six national capitals for an exchange of views on the spot, and another half-dozen national parliaments have been pleased to make a written contribution.
This work is entirely public and the procedure is completely transparent. All the working documents and minutes of the meetings are available on the European Parliament website and on my personal website. Any conclusions can enter into force only when agreed by all the governments of the Union and ratified by all the national parliaments. Our aim is to be ready for the 2008 date proposed by the governments: on that date the entire European budget system, in terms of both revenue and expenditure, will have to be thoroughly reviewed. The European Commission has been invited to make new proposals on the basis of the proposals that may be made between now and then by national parliaments and the European Parliament.
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Au cours de sa
session plénière du 3 au 6 avril 2006 à Strasbourg, le Parlement
européen a notamment adopté une résolution sur les négociations
commerciales en cours à l’OMC. Alain Lamassoure a rédigé
une note
faisant le point sur ce sujet. Vous pouvez lire
le texte adopté par le Parlement
européen
.rnrn
Compte-rendu des
travaux la session plénière du 3 au 6 avril 2006 à
Strasbourg
.